17th July 2026
The announcement that the Cancer Research UK shop in Thurso is to close, following the earlier closure of its Wick branch, marks another sad chapter for Caithness High Streets.
These are not ordinary retailers chasing profits. Charity shops exist to raise money for good causes, rely heavily on donated goods and volunteers, and often enjoy business rate relief. If even they are finding it difficult to keep their doors open, it raises an uncomfortable question about the future of town centres across rural Scotland.
The closure also comes after Wick's former betting shop shut its doors. Betting shops were once regarded as businesses that could survive almost any economic downturn because they attracted regular customers. Yet even that market has changed dramatically as more gambling has moved online.
Taken together, these closures suggest something more fundamental is happening.
Only recently, Wick's Market Square benefited from a major regeneration project costing around £2 million. The new paving, seating, lighting and landscaping have undoubtedly improved the appearance of the town centre, and few would argue against making public spaces more attractive.
However, many local people are now asking whether physical improvements alone can revive a High Street if the businesses that once occupied it continue to disappear.
The challenge facing Wick is not unique. Across Britain, online shopping has transformed consumer habits. Whether buying clothes, books, electrical goods or household items, many people now order from their phones and expect delivery within a day or two. Large supermarkets continue to expand the range of goods they sell, meaning shoppers can often complete all their purchases in one place without visiting specialist retailers.
For smaller towns such as Wick and Thurso, the problem is even greater. A limited local population means there are fewer customers to support traditional High Street shops. Rising wages, higher energy bills, increased National Insurance costs, insurance, rent and other overheads have all squeezed already thin margins.
The result is that every shop closure has consequences beyond the individual business. Empty premises reduce footfall. Fewer shoppers mean neighbouring businesses lose passing trade. As more shops disappear, fewer people have reasons to visit the town centre at all, creating a cycle that becomes increasingly difficult to reverse.
This is not to say regeneration schemes are a waste of money. Attractive public spaces can encourage events, markets, cafés and tourism. They can make a town a more pleasant place to live and visit. But attractive streets alone cannot recreate the shopping habits of twenty or thirty years ago.
Perhaps the future of town centres lies elsewhere.
Instead of trying to compete directly with online retailers, High Streets may need to become places people visit for experiences rather than simply to buy goods. Independent cafés, local food, craft markets, community events, health services, leisure facilities and businesses offering something that cannot be delivered in a cardboard box may become increasingly important.
The real question is no longer whether online shopping will continue to grow—it almost certainly will. The question is whether our town centres can successfully reinvent themselves for a very different future.
As another charity shop prepares to close, that debate has become more urgent than ever.